1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air washers having humidifying functions and, more particularly, to an air washer which adsorbs outside contaminated air to disks, which have water films formed thereon, and settles contaminants in water in a water reservoir, thus purifying and humidifying air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Representative examples of conventional humidifying air washers, which purify and humidify air using a water film forming means, were proposed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. (Patent Document 1: Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0157935, and Patent Document 2: Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0292472)
A conventional air washer having a humidifying function will be described herein below with reference to Patent Document 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 10 denotes an upper casing, and the reference numeral 20 denotes a lower casing, which contains water therein. A motor 30 is supported in a support frame 11, which is provided in the upper casing 10. A blower fan 31 is coupled to the output shaft of the motor 30. Furthermore, a pair of rollers 40 is rotatably provided in a coupling block 12, which is provided on the lower end of the support frame 11. When power is supplied to the motor 30, the blower fan 31 is rotated, and the rollers 40 are rotated along with the blower fan 31 at the same time.
In an example, which is not shown in the drawing, a worm and a worm gear, which engage with each other, are respectively provided on the shaft of the motor 30 and shafts of the rollers 40, so that the rollers 40 are rotated by the rotation of the shaft of the motor 30. A control knob (not shown) for turning on or off the air washer and regulating the air flow rate is provided at a predetermined position on the upper casing 10.
In the drawing, the reference numeral 100 denotes a disk roller assembly. The disk roller assembly 100 includes disk rollers 101, each of which is provided by assembling disks A and disks B in a roller shape. Furthermore, the disk rollers 101, which are disposed at opposite positions, engage with the respective rollers 40 and are thus rotated in contact with the rollers 40.
In detail, the disk roller assembly 100 includes a pair of disk rollers 101, a pair of support rods, to which opposite ends of shaft rods 111 provided in the disk rollers 101 are rotatably coupled, and a handle, which is coupled to the opposite support rods.
In each disk roller 101, a plurality of the disks B are coupled to a medial portion of a support pipe, and middle support plates are coupled to opposite sides of the disks B. Furthermore, a plurality of the disks A are coupled to opposite sides of the support pipe. An end cap is coupled to each end of the support pipe.
Each of the disks A and B has a coupling hole in the center thereof. A plurality of locking notches is formed in the circumferential edge of the coupling hole. Furthermore, a plurality of cuts is formed in radial directions. A plurality of connection protrusions is provided on one surface of the disk, and connection holes are formed in the other surface of the disk at positions corresponding to the connection protrusions.
Each middle support plate has a coupling hole in the center thereof. A ring-shaped coupling rib is provided on the circumferential edge of the coupling hole. A plurality of locking notches is formed in the ring-shaped rib. A plurality of connection protrusions is provided on one surface of the middle support plate, and connection holes are formed in the other surface of the middle support plate at positions corresponding to the connection protrusions.
In the end cap, a coupling tube part is integrally provided on the central portion of the end cap body. A ring-shaped locking protrusion is provided on the end of the coupling tube part, and a plurality of circular through holes is formed around the coupling tube part. In addition, a wedge-shaped locking protrusion is provided on the outer surface of the coupling tube part.
Meanwhile, locking ribs, which are inserted into the locking notches of the disks A and B and the middle support plates, are provided on the support pipe. Furthermore, coupling stops, to which the coupling ribs of the middle support plates are fastened, are provided on the medial portion of the support pipe. A locking hole is formed in each end of the support pipe, so that, when the coupling tube part of the end cap is inserted into the end of the support pipe, the locking protrusion of the end cap is locked to the locking hole of the support pipe.
To assemble the disk roller 101, one middle support plate, for example, a right middle support plate of the two middle support plates, is positioned on the support pipe such that the locking ribs of the support pipe are inserted into the locking notches of the middle support plate. Thereafter, the middle support plate is pushed inwards on the support pipe. Then, the coupling rib of the middle support plate is fitted between the coupling stops of the support pipe, so that the middle support plate is stably fastened to the support pipe. Subsequently, the disks B are fitted over the support pipe such that the locking ribs of the support pipe are inserted into the locking notches of the disks B. Thereafter, the other middle support plate is fitted over the support pipe in the same manner as that described above, and the disks A are fitted over the support pipe at opposite sides of the middle support plates, in the same manner as the process of coupling the disks B to the support pipe. Thereafter, the shaft rod 111, which is coupled at opposite ends thereof to shaft end pipes, is inserted into the support pipe. Subsequently, each end cap is coupled to each of opposite ends of the support pipe, such that the locking protrusion provided on the coupling tube part of the end cap is the locking hole of the support pipe, and such that the ring-shape locking protrusion of the end cap is locked to the inner edge of the shaft end pipe coupled to each end of the shaft rod 111, thus completing the process of assembling the disk roller 101.
The disk rollers 101, which are assembled through the above-mentioned assembly process, are assembled into the disk roller assembly 100 by inserting the shaft end pipes of the shaft rods 111 into shaft holes, which are formed in the opposite ends of the support rod. The opposite shaft end pipes of the disk roller assembly 100 are rotatably coupled to bushings provided on the inner surface of the lower casing 20.
The disks A and B, the middle support plates, the end caps and the support pipes of the disk roller assembly 100 may be made of synthetic resin mixed with aromatic material, an antibacterial agent and a sterilizing agent, and is manufactured, for example, through injection molding processes.
In the conventional air washer having the above-mentioned construction, water is contained in the lower casing 20 to a predetermined height, and the upper casing 10 is coupled to the lower casing 20. Thereafter, when the motor 30 is operated by applied power thereto, the blower fan 31 is rotated by the rotating force of the motor 30. Simultaneously, the disk rollers 101 are rotated by the rollers 40, which are operated in conjunction with the blower fan 31. Then, water, which is smeared on the disks A and B of the disk rollers 101 to form water films, is atomized into fine particles by the centrifugal force of the disks A and B and by forced air, which is blown by the blower fan 31. The water particles and air are discharged outside the air washer through a grill type outlet port, which is formed in the sidewall of the lower casing 20, and are dispersed in the interior of a room, thus humidifying air in the room.
Here, in the case of Patent Document 1, the surface of each disk is planar, but, in the case of Patent Document 2, linear ribs (which serve to effectively draw up water and move the water towards the center of the disk) are radially provided on the surface of each disk at positions spaced apart from each other at regular intervals.
However, in the conventional arts, there are disadvantages in the structure of the disk roller assembly, so that the process of cleaning the disks is inconvenient, and contaminant settling efficiency and air humidifying efficiency of the air washer are relatively low.